SportsBeat: Baseball team's turnaround makes town proud

Wednesday

May 23, 2007 at 12:01 AMMay 23, 2007 at 11:12 PM

Last year, the Needham baseball team suffered through as rough a season as a club could. This year, the rejuvenated Rockets have orchestrated a remarkable reversal in form, even though they remain unranked and under the radar as far as the Boston newspapers are concerned.

Dick Carey, Needham SportsBeat

Last year, the Needham baseball team suffered through as rough a season as a club could. This year, the rejuvenated Rockets have orchestrated a remarkable reversal in form, even though they remain unranked and under the radar as far as the Boston newspapers are concerned.

As of this writing, the underrated Rockets, with a 3-2 win over Milton, have just clinched a coveted spot in the postseason tournament, where they may very well sneak up on a couple of teams. In fact, even though I may be a little bit biased, from what I have seen this season, our local lads stand a good chance of taking any of the highly touted teams in the tournament. On Friday, the Rockets will have an opportunity to prove that when they host Catholic Memorial, which has been ranked either at or near the top in the Boston media since the beginning of the season. The Knights have been led lately by the hot hitting of Needhamite Travis Jonasson.

Credit for much of the Needham success this season goes to veteran coach John Freitas and rock captains Will Everts and Sam Kelly. Everts, one of the best pitchers in the Bay State Conference, is also one of the best-hitting hurlers. Kelly is a sure-handed shortstop with an accurate arm, and the left-handed hitter at the top of the order can beat you with a bunt or an extra base hit.

Coach Freitas has been pressing the right buttons this year, and the principled mentor even found time in his busy schedule to travel to Franklin recently to speak before the Mass. Interscholastic Athletic Council in support of wooden bats.

Other pitchers who have contributed greatly to the cause this season have been Matt Dunn, Mike Libertini, Dave Cotugno, Drew Roy (also a hard-hitting outfielder) and Tucker Healy (the Rockets’ answer to Dick Radatz).

Assisting head coach Freitas this season have been a former outstanding Rocket, Ben Maki, and John’s right-hand man, Mike Taggart.

Regarding tomorrow’s game against Catholic Memorial High School, it will be played at 3:45 p.m., on Babson College’s beautiful baseball field. Unfortunately, for this year it will be the last real-baseball high school game, i.e., a game played with wooden bats. For the postseason tournament, which the MIAA proclaims is pro-choice, is a “de facto” metal bat tournament. For competitive reasons, even the teams that use wood during the regular season will use metal bats in the tourney because that’s what their opponents will be using.

This is a statement made with a straight face recently to the MIAA Board of Directors: “Metal bats perform just like wooden bats” — sure they do.

Faith and fitness

Periodically we recommend current sports books to our fellow townsmen. Today we suggest two for your reading pleasure: “Playing with God — Religion and Modern Sport” by William J. Baker, and “Faith and Fitness — Diet and Exercise for a Better World” by Tom P. Hafer.

About his book, Baker states, “As sports promoters seek publicity and lively attendance at their events, and as churches seek wholesome activities and a podium for their message, their marriage seems made in America.”

“Faith nights” at minor league baseball games is just one of the recent manifestations of how religion and sports often go hand-in-hand and how sports interaction with religion continues to be a popular dance.

In “Faith and Fitness” Hafer, a registered physical therapist and a certified athletic trainer who also holds a master’s degree in religion, would seem to be eminently qualified to write on this subject.

“When we consider our desire for better health or weight loss,” Hafer writes, “let us clear our minds of old ideas and struggles — hungry, thirsty, open and broken — and go from there.”

Readers will find in his book an abundance of wisdom and healthful advice on the topics of nutrition and exercise, which will be of value to all of us. So, for those who feel a need to shape up, physically and spiritually, “Faith and Fitness” may be the book for you.

Quote for the week

“Baseball is a dull game only for those who have dull minds.” — Red Smith.